Rugby sevens and golf were today confirmed as new Olympic sports for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The International Olympic Committee voted in favour of both sports becoming part of the programme in Rio de Janeiro and in 2020.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said: "Congratulations to both federations. We all look forward to great competition in 2016 and 2020."

Rugby had 81 votes in favour and eight against, and golf 63 in favour and 27 against.

There was some opposition with Dick Pound, from Canada, arguing that the 106 members had not been given the opportunity to vote on the five sports including squash and karate who had been excluded earlier this year by the IOC's executive board.

Pound said: "The fact is we were not allowed to consider all seven sports.

"That's a mistake, it's not fair to the other five sports, and because we do not know why this was decided it is not a transparent process.

"The session was asking for guidance not a decision that would be take it or leave it."

Peter Dawson, acting president of the International Golf Federation, had to go on the defensive after American IOC member Anita DeFrantz questioned why golf clubs such as Augusta were allowed to be male only.

Dawson said: "We are aware that golf has a reputation for this but it is important to give the facts - we have 60million golfers in the world of whom 25% are women. Single sex clubs for men or indeed for women make up 0.5% and is reducing, and inclusion in the Olympic Games will further consolidate the equality of the sport."

Padraig Harrington and Michelle Wie both stressed that, given the opportunity, they would stay in the athletes' Village during the Games.

Harrington said: "I can see nothing better than being in the Olympic Village, living there and experiencing what the athletes go through. That's the highest point of the Olympics apart from the competition."

Both sports will be reviewed at the IOC session in 2017, the year after the Rio Games, before a final decision is taken that they can take part in 2020 too.

Jonah Lomu, the legendary New Zealand player, had earlier told IOC members that all top rugby players would want to play in the Olympic sevens tournament.

Padraig Harrington told a news conference in Copenhagen that the Olympic tournament would soon surpass the majors for golfers.

He said: "I do believe in time the Olympic gold will become the most important event in golf and I don't believe it will take that long.

"In the four years between the Olympics there will be 16 majors, so winning gold will be that much more special."

Harrington admitted that golf's elitist image may have contributed to the 27 votes against.

"I believe it was a stumbling block and could have caused some of those votes against us," he said.

"But being in the Olympics will help change - it has changed over the last 20 years, and 99% of the professional players are not from elite backgrounds."

Harrington, 38, said the 2016 decision provides the perfect incentive for him to stay at the top of the sport.

He added: "It's seven years away, and physically I should be capable of continuing for a number of years.

"Competing in the Olympics gives me the motivation to push on - I want to be there in 2016.

"Being an Olympian is a big deal in Ireland, one of the greatest honours for any Irish person, and I want to be one."

Peter Dawson, acting president of the IGF, said the result was better than he had hoped for.

Dawson said: "We are absolutely delighted to be back in the Olympic programme after 105 years.

"When you consider where golf was just a few years ago the votes we received today were very high up in my range of expectation.

"All of golf is committed to providing an excellent event in 2016 and 2020, and when things are reviewed in 2017 I'm sure the event in Rio will have a big bearing on our future."

IRB president Bernard Lapasset told a news conference in Copenhagen: "It is an historic moment for rugby and the result of much hard work, the return to the Olympic family.

"It is an important result for the universal development of rugby, especially rugby sevens.

"We are guaranteed to be in the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020 and we have to focus on running a fantastic tournament."

IRB secretary general Mike Miller said they were confident of putting on a spectacle in Rio to guarantee future inclusion in the Games.

He said: "We are in the programme for two Games, 2016 and 2020, and a rugby sevens tournament in Rio will be a huge success - so we are confident about any review that might take places in 2017.

"Rugby and Rio are made for each other; sevens is a huge festival, and great sports and a great time is what the Olympic Games is all about."

Jonah Lomu, the former All Black, said: "I am joyous and ecstatic - even though I will not be able to play for my country in the Olympics.

"It's just great to see the future of rugby will be on the biggest stage of all."